Gutsy Stand Makes ‘Machine’ a Star

Hollywood could not have scripted it any better. Hometown
challenger takes on a great champion, absorbs a beating early,
becomes horribly disfigured, and, then, after being waved clear to
continue in a tense-as-tense-can-be doctor exam, rallies huge down
the stretch to put the champion on his heels.

Mark
Hominick is truly worthy of being nicknamed “The Machine,” but
what’s next for Jose Aldo, the
still-amazing but now-human featherweight king?

Honestly, with Hominick’s performance at UFC
129 on Saturday in Toronto, I’d rather see Aldo and him fight
later. That’s because Hominick performed so impressively that a
loss in the short-term will not hurt his long-term marketability
for a title shot, especially against Aldo. Hominick might be
wrestled and held down against tough contenders like Chad Mendes,
but in a five-round standup battle, he is bad news for anyone. I’m
not sure there is anyone else who can say that presently.

Kenny
Florian is dropping to 145 pounds and taking on Diego Nunes
at UFC
131, but that is a real wild card. Florian may be venturing
into Joe
Riggs/James Irvin
territory with this weight cut, given that he has fought as a
globbed-up welterweight and, later, a finely tuned lightweight.
We’ll have to see how he handles the drop in poundage.

Previous Aldo opponents do not have Hominick’s kickboxing
background, and, as such, it is a lot harder to absorb the big
shots he did, especially early, when Aldo was digging a liver
punch-leg kick combination with the kind of viciousness that makes
you flinch. Hominick has formally earned an “anytime” invite on my
pay-per-view wish list and yours, too.

Aldo may have been sluggish from the weight cut, but he showed
serious skill in handling it as he tired. Despite looking fatigued
by the second round, his hard wiring still allowed him to parcel
out big shots and keep slipping in some breathtaking sequences.
Technically, this was a two-way, five-round masterpiece of ebb and
flow, one that has few equals.